Life Without Love is no Life at All
by Frank12
Summary: Drenched in solitude, let alone blood, he dragged his numbed legs along the pathway to revenge, hate & death. Is there anyone out there able to bring him back from this void he has created? A SasuSaku tribute. Hints of NaruHina. Does have bits of tragedy.
1. Null & Void

Hey all, this is a SasuSaku fanfic, the first chapter is like the prologue type thing. Just read please!!

Chapter1: Null & Void

Drenched in solitude, let alone blood, he dragged his numbed legs along the pathway to revenge, hate and death. Making his way up the steps and to his so-called 'master', he continued to remain emotionless. Looking almost in a daze, he got down on one knee,

"Orochimaru-sama…" His voice barely audible, looking as if he would collapse then and there,

"Sasuke…" Slithered out his snaky mouth as his long tongue licked his own lips sensually, "You have done good, rest, for tomorrow I have a difficult task for you."

Asking no questions, Sasuke got up heavily and made his way to a lone room. Collapsing on the bed, he stared at the ceiling above him. Flashbacks would control his dreams tonight, for he almost had no control over his own body.

Most nights, Sasuke never slept, others, he'd lay half-asleep. He could no longer remember the taste of water, or the fun times he once had. It was as if this need to become powerful was exactly like a drub, poisoning your very mind. One day you'd regret it, the other, yearn for more. Nothing would satisfy you, though you crave more and more, the less closer you are to your goal. It eats away at your soul until there's nothing left, and you are not aware of what you are doing. Kill your family, friends and others, it is your only goal. If someone were to ask, 'You do all this trouble, for something so selfish, kill person after person, you achieve your goal, then what?' What's next? You can't go back and relive the life you gave away. So in the end, was it all really worth it?

Not bothering to change out of his bloodstained clothes, he gently fell asleep for the first time in weeks.

Flashback Dream "Over the past few years, you have become my companion, my best friend…" 

"_Then why?" Naruto pleaded._

"_For that very same reason."_

_**Images of his fight with Naruto took place in his dreams, until it changed.**_

"_After all this time, you're still annoying." Sasuke had the image of Sakura's pained face, and then it changed ever so quickly._

"_Do you remember the day we first met?" Sakura was letting out tears._

"_No…" The imaged changed yet again._

"_If you go, I'll scream out loud!" Sakura pleaded. Sasuke saw himself suddenly appear behind Sakura._

**_The images flashed quickly from moment to moment. He would see each Sakura and Naruto's face now, _((Like what they look like after the time skip)) **

"Thank you…" Flashback dream end 

Sasuke then woke with an enormous gasp as he was sweating and panting heavily. Quickly, he took off his shirt and pants, left only in his boxers. He lay there, not to fall asleep again that night.

"Damn it…" He wiped his sweaty forehead as he remained silent for the rest of the night.

Slowly, Sasuke got out of bed and met Orochimaru outside.

"Sasuke, sleep well?" Orochimaru's long tongue flipped back into his mouth. Sasuke gave no reply.

"I suppose you would like your mission now…" Orochimaru's tongue grew snaky as he slithered his words.

Sasuke had been starring straight at Orochimaru's back, not as eager as what he could be.

"Your mission…" Orochimaru turned his face towards Sasuke, "Kill your former teammates…"

A grin crossed Sasuke's face,

"Sakura… and Naruto…"

Ok, so this was really short but it's the prologue, type thing… I got tired of looking for that perfect story that shows Naruto and Sakura searching and trying to bring Sasuke back that had a SasuSaku end, so I tried this out. Hopefully this is somewhat close to what you guys are looking for…

Frank12 ((AKA Trish))


	2. The Never Ending Pain

Chapter 2: The never-ending pain… 

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura lay quietly in a daze, on her bed.

'I've trained so hard, just to bring you back… but now I know I have dreamt the unreachable…' Slowly, she got out of bed and headed for Tsunade's office.

"Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed her head slightly.

"Hey Granny Tsunade!" Naruto's wide grin was as wide as ever.

Sakura forced a slight smile when she saw Naruto,

"Hey…"

"Okay!" Tsunade barked, "You two have been put on another mission to retrieve Sasuke. But the fact this time is that it will be more difficult."

"Tell us Granny Tsunade!" Naruto seemed quite eager.

"Pipe down and let me tell you!"

"Yeah…" Sakura sadden eyes caught Naruto and Tsunade off guard.

Sakura, deep in thought, was the first to leave Tsunade's office.

"Naruto, wait…" Tsunade almost bit her lip. Naruto had a questionable look on his face, "Watch out for Sakura, I don't know if she can pull herself together after what happened in the last mission…"

"Will do Granny Tsunade." Naruto gave her a solute as he closed the door.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled, "What are you doing later?"

"Ummmm…" Sakura said after waiting a few minutes.

"Well if you're not busy, do ya wanna' get a uh-"

"No thanks Naruto, I'm kinda not in the mood right now…" Sakura turned her face to the side so Naruto couldn't see it.

Naruto smiled again, "Okay, I'll see ya later then!" He faced her as he jogged away. Naruto accidentally ran into Kakashi, as he was not paying attention to where he was going.

"…Bye…" Sakura almost let a tear drop, but stopped herself. Clenching her fist as she hit the ground and it made a pretty big mark. ((A/N: She wasn't concentrating her chakara so it didn't have as big of an effect.))

A few moments later, Sakura silently left.

Just around the corner, Tsunade stood, watching the whole scenario.

"Sakura…" Tsunade sighed as she went back to her normal routine including sake and any other drinks she can get her hands on.

Sakura got to her house and quickly raced up to her bed. She soon collapsed on the bed that held all her tears.

_Flashback:_

"_Sasuke-kun, I love you so much!"_

"_You __**are **__really annoying… Thank you…"_

_Flashback end._

"Why Sasuke-kun…? Just… Why?!" Sakura was silent after that.

Breaking the silence was the radio.

'He was everything, everything that I wanted, we were meant to be suppose to be, but we lost it… All of the memories so close to me just fade away, all this time you were pretending so much for my happy end-'

Sakura cut the song short as her hand slammed down on the radio. The station was only turned, not off.

'The truth of the matter is, replacing you is so easy…' 

This time Sakura pressed the right button and turned it off,

"I only wish…" ((A/N: She is saying it as a reply to the song not 'I wish Sasuke-kun will come back' or whatever))

'I am not going to cry…' Sakura told herself, though she knew lying was never going to help.

Sakura curled up in a ball, "I hate-!" Sakura started but stopped mid-way, "Have I really grown to… hate, Sasuke?"

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto barged in,

"Don't just come into my room whenever you want!!" Sakura shouted as she sat up and comforted herself under the covers. Soon enough she calmed, "Do you miss him?"

Naruto looked puzzled for a few moments, "Of course… He was, though I hate to admit it, like a brother to me. He was a rival at the same time though…" ((A/N: This is NO WAY at all to be taken as loving him homosexually! NO SASUNARU's hates sasunaru))

Sakura gave a faint smile, "Do you… hate him… for all that he's done?"

"Well I thought I did." Naruto starred out the window, "Then I noticed that hate, would be sinking further into corruption…"

"Wow, that's so… deep."

"Kakashi said it to me." Naruto grinned as Sakura nearly fell flat on her face.

"Now I've forgotten what I was going to say…" Naruto scratched his head as he paced around the room, "Oh well, get a good nights sleep. Sakura? Are you listening?"

"Huh? Yeah, you too." Sakura barely remembered being in the same room as Naruto.

"Well I better head off, see yeah Sakura-chan!" Naruto waved as the door shut slowly.

Sakura sighed again before hanging her head off the side of her bed. When she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar face…

"Kakashi-sensei?!?"

"Yupp." Kakashi smiled under that dark mask of his.

Sakura was suddenly reminded of the time her group had tried to get a glimpse of Kakashi's face. The fun they had… the moments they shared… Those memories can never be erased.

"I came to give you some encouragement!" Kakashi watched Sakura pick herself up and sit on her bed. Suddenly, she turned her head to one side.

Kakashi continued to squat and talk at the same time, like he normally did.

"This will probably be the hardest battle between you guys yet…" Sakura nodded slightly, "I want you to use your best instinct and patience, 'cause Naruto doesn't have any." Kakashi grinned.

Sakura smiled, but there was a silence until Sakura flew her arms around Kakashi and gave him a hug. He was nearly like a father to her… and she couldn't help but give a few tears. Kakashi patted her back twice before speaking again.

"I must be going now, bye." Kakashi was gone in a puff of smoke.

It was about 5:30 and Sakura couldn't help but fall asleep. Her hair was scattered across the pillow and her face was full of pain and sorrow.

"Ummm Hiya Naruto."

"Oh, hey Hinata." Naruto gave a smile as he lay on the grass on top of the big hill. The view was so pretty from here, Naruto just like to lay there for a while. You could see all of Kohana from there.

"Can I uhh… talk to you?" Hinata blushed a tad as she sat down as a response to Naruto's nod,

"Have you ever…" Hinata fiddled with her fingers a bit before talking again, "L-Loved someone so much… that you, can't find t-th-the words to-to describe it??"

"Uh huh…" Naruto's grin faded, "But you soon learn that dreams may not always become reality."

Hinata was so surprised when she heard this, "Naruto…" She was almost in tears, "I-I love-"

"Love is something to cherish, we go for it because we can't live without it."

Hinata's tears became clear to the eye as they drizzled down her face slowly.

"Sorry I was side-tracked from reading something off this book, stupid eh? Well, what were you saying?"

'I almost did it, and he wasn't even listening!' Hinata hid her eyes with her bangs as she quietly got up and started to walk away.

"Hinata?"

'Was it something I said?'

Sakura's alarm went off and after a few moments, Sakura's eyes opened. She picked out a few clothes and then went to have a shower. About 30 or so minutes later, Sakura got out and was fully dressed with just her wet hair to worry about. She gently dragged her feet along the hard and cold wood flooring towards her closet. Slowly, she moved away a few hangers as she came to a beautiful white dress with orange flowers. Sakura's smooth fingers traced the dress as she brang it over to her bed. Gently, Sakura laid it in the garbage next to her bed. She stared at the dress with a tear forming,

"It just wouldn't be right…" She though as she flipped the hanging dress on the outside of the garbage can in.

30 minutes later, Sakura was ready and quickly left. She met up with Naruto, as they walked silently to the edge of the forest where Tsunade and Kakashi were.

"Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura bowed slightly at them as she said each name.

Naruto just gave his normal grin as they waited for Hinata. Shikamaru and Sai were already there bright and early. Soon enough she was there and everyone was ready and willing.

"Okay, it's time… Good luck to you all." Kakashi gave a wide smile under that dark mask of his. Everyone nodded as they swiftly ran off is a V form. ((A/N: The point was facing forward.)) Naruto was at the point, Sakura of Naruto's left and Hinata on his right. Sai and Shikamaru brang up the rear, Sai behind Sakura and Shikamaru behind Hinata.

Flashback:

"_Sai, Naruto, you will be the captains or leaders on this mission." Kakashi started, "Naruto, you and Sakura will be taking on Sasuke, but this is only one part. Hinata, Ino and Sai will go on to the other part of the plan, which is Orochimaru. _

"_I understand." Sai bowed, as did Naruto. Kakashi dismissed them both and they left to their houses. _

_Flashback end._

Sakura took a deep breath and remembered Tsunade's words.

"You think Naruto can handle a high rank mission just yet?" Tsunade asked.

"Or is the question, can Sakura handle it?"

"Sakura, pay attention, we can't afford anyone drifting off into 'lala' land now." Naruto said firmly without eye contact.

No matter how many times she denied it, Naruto had grown up. -somewhat- Tsunade's words rung through her head, but she soon shook them off.

'I can't be the weakest one anymore!' Sakura thought to herself, 'I have to follow through, I have to be strong. No obstacle can bring me down… I must remember…'

'Dead or Alive' 

Okay, so that's 'bout it, I know it wasn't very long, but I guarentee you the next chappy will be longer. The only reason why the first two chappys were short, was because they were mainly about the feelings the two were having. Now that you know what all is going on I can get into the story a little more.  And sorry I haven't updated often, I've been getting a lot of homeowrk and I just don't have time with all the sports I play… It has been getting very emotional with our soccer team 'cause two people are going metro, one person is moving and another might be moving. :'( Well I got a bit inspiration with the dress, you will find out what the dress was for later on but some smart ones can probably guess now!! XD And I will explain about the 'last mission' part aswell. Anyway, I have to get a few of my other stories on the computer that I wtote a while ago on paper, and I have to do another chappy for my other story, -which was suppose to be a one-shot and then full story work is going to this! That's all for now, thanks for taking the time to read through to the end.!

Frank12 ((And gosh darnit, I'm a girl!!))

P.S.: The dead or alive note was to bring Sasuke back dead or alive. ((For all you slow or tired people out there! XP))


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